Electric switch



W 11, 1 w. A. HEINRICH 1,903,455

ELECTRIC SWITCH Original Filed May 16, 1929 v INVENTOR WALTER A. HEINRICH BY A;-

ATTORN EY5 Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITEDHSTATEVSVJ PAT WALTER Lnmmucn, or w.- nours mssouur ELECTBIO swrrcH i Original application filed ma 1c, 1929, Serial in. 360,781.- nivide'dand this applicationflled August 4,- Y 1930a S eria 1No.47 3,00O. V I

This inventionrelates to electric switches,: and more particularly to improved lockmg.

meansformaintaining a switch in closed position. a Y i .s The locking deviceheremshown and described: may be applied toanytype'of switch. which requires positive locking means, but it' is especially adapted for use on high'tension' switching equipment wherein the switch. is-

1 ordinarilymanipulated by means of a switch stick 'or fuse puller, theoperator locating himself at a safe distance from .the live equipment. In the design and construction of a prac- 15 mm locking mechanism for manually operable high tension switches, it is desirable that the releasing member may be readilyengageable'by the switch stick without complicated manipulations of that member. Obviously,

297 the locking means must be-positive in operation to prevent opening of the switchunder severe'or unusual electrical or weather conditions.

.It is an obj ectof thisinvention to provide an improved switch locking mechanism; of

simple construction, adapted to operateau-w tomatically upon closing of the switch, and: which may be readily and positively operable.

at a distancetherefrom. 1 H

30? A further object of this invention lies in the provision of a switch lock in which the latch and manipulating members are separate, and individually operable, whereby pressure on the latter member to close the 355 switch, does not interfere with the movement of the former to prevent its sliding over a stationary catch and coming into subsequent locking engagement therewith.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and from the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a stationary, insulated contact structure of a type employed on high tension switches, and the free end of a fuse cartridge operatively associated therewith and locked thereto by means contemplated by this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of this invention shown mounted onthe end of a fuse 59? cartridge of expulsion type; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of F igzr: 2;,Fig. 4 is aper'spect'ive view of the-lock manipulatingor releasing member, and;Fig.. 5 is a perspective view of'the latch-member. 1

The contact structure" shown: Fig. :1 forms no partofthepresent invention i it. being-illustrative of a single application of myldevice, but-is fully describedin my :co-.. endingapplication, Serial No. 360,781; filed ay 6th, 1929, of which the present applica.) 6.0... tion is a division. .Briefly, however, the conta-ct assembly comprises paired; contact; shoes 6, which aremounted on conducting arms/7,": supported by a bracketfl8, carried by an insulator ,9. YA connector or lug 10 provides. means. for connecting the structure to agline, which may be connected to the lug by solder.- or. setscrews, (not shown). In the present embodiment the contact shoes;6are-provided v with lateral projections, l lii'which serve as catches or keepers for the latch member to be hereinafter described; While the contact shoesin the present instanceare capable of: self-aligning movement to insure good contact with the blade member, this movement is in no v wise necessary to ltheoperationvof. the locking mechanism, and the catches may bejconsidered l stationary for, the purposes of this application.- a ii l The Switchblade is prQyided-with agpain 805. of spaced arms12 through whichis-disposed abea'ring pin 13 "adapted to ,pivotally, sup-- port the atch member 14 andvthe manipulat-= ing member' l5. The latch member 14 com-V prises a channel shaped body portio'n l6 haying paired latching arms, 1-7 extending from opposite sides thereof and of such1conforma.-. tion as to be enabled to straddle-the switch. blade as showninllig, 3. )The arms 17 :ter; minate in hooked portions 18, which are nOlX- mally disposed in. position to engage; the; catches 11, being urgcdrint "e gaging po -ii tion by aspring 19.. Thehooked portions 18 are provided with arcuate surfaces 20 which, contact with'the-stationary catches 11, shown in i Fig. 1, when the switch is being closed, causing the latch member to rotated slight-. y, rel t ve to th s h b ad ag in tthe action-ofthe spring 19. ,When, the switch'is; fully closed, the hcqkp t o synqw c ear Dii 99 the catches, are urged into locking position.

The manipulating member 15 comprises, preferably, a ring 21, having an arm 22 extending tangentially therefrom. The arm 22 pivota1ly engages the pin 13 between the walls ofthe latch body 16. Movement of the member 15 to release the latch, causes the portion of the arm 22, indicated at 23, to bear against thelatclrbody l6 and ro- 10 tate that member into releasing position. The limit of relative movement of the latch mechanism is reached when the corner portions blade, and the application of, further force causes the switch to be opened.

i Itlwill be obvious that'the simple form of manipulating member herein shown and described is'advantageousin that no specially 20 formed tool req i Complementary gaging portions is necessary, but any device employing an insulating handle andihaving a portion adapted to enter the ring 21 may be'conveniently employed to open or close thes w-itch. r

-W'hile I have shown and described my in- 'vention as applicable toIa fuse cartridge of the expulsiontype, it will be obvious that the same may beapplied to any Switchblade, a's it is 'Well understood in the art and common practice to substitute switch blades for fuse cartridges, and vice versa.

.While Ihave shown and described'a particular'embodiment of my invention, it will 'b'e obviousto those skilled in the art that certain changes may be made without departing from the spirit and full intended scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims; I claim as my invention: 7 7

1. In a switch assembly a switch blade and contacts adapted for current conducting and locking engagement, respectively, by said blade and by 'a latch mechanism associated V with said blade, said latching mechanism ineluding a channeled body carried by said blade, integral latching arms' projecting ndi d M1 4,- ft latch m r.v 4, abut against the surface of the switch} and including a channel shaped member, integrally formed latch arms extending angularly from opposite sides, at one end of said member and overlying the blade and fixed contacts so as to engage said keepers when the switch blade .is in closed; position, a spring in bearing'engagement with the central portion of said channel member at the I end thereof opposite said latch arms, said spring tending to urge" said latch arms into latching position, a latch releasing member "comprising a ring having a tangential arm portion extending endwardly into said chan-.-

nel member, and a pivot element'common to said channel and arm portion, and carried at one side of the switch blade, said channel member and: latch releasing member being adapted for individual swinging movement. about said pivot element. v 1

3. In a switchassembly,aa switch blade, a

contact'portion near'one end of the switch 1 blade provided with opposite,lateral con tact surfaces, a pair of spaced, parallel fixed contacts adapted 'toengage the contact surfaces on the blade,ablade-latching device including a pair of pivot arms disposed between the planes of said blade contact sur faces, and at one side of'the blade contact portion, a pivot 'journalled in said arms, a one-piece, bifurcate latch carried by said pivot and having its legs extendedinto'overlying, spaced relation to said blade contact surfaces, terminal locking lugs on said legs,-

a latCh-atuatinglever extending" between" the legs of the latch'and mounted for a limited rotation on the latch pivot, a latch spring carried at one side of the contact portion of the blade, and bearing against the central portion of the latch, and a'keeper formed by a lateral projection on each of the. fixed contacts, the projections adapted for releasable latching engagement by said'locking-lugs. t r WALTER A HEINRICH. 1

angularly from opposite sides of said body,

laterally overhanging said blade and contacts, keepers for said arms, formed by lateral projections on said contacts, means on the latch arms forming cam surfaces for 6.1-

re'c'ting said arms intolatching' position, a

. latch releasing element comprising a ring latching mechanism carried by said blade, 

